


That Would Be Enough

by Butterfly_girl



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Adrenaline, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, M/M, Mild Blood, World of Ruin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-29
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-15 16:04:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14793608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Butterfly_girl/pseuds/Butterfly_girl
Summary: With Noct gone, Prompto is struggling to find a reason to keep going.  Can Gladio help him to see that there is hope after all?





	That Would Be Enough

**Author's Note:**

> Written for a tumblr prompt: kisses in adrenaline.
> 
> As always, this got longer than expected.

It had been a long time since the three of them had seen each other, and even longer since they’d hunted together.  Since the darkness had fallen, Prompto had spent much of his time alone.  He'd chosen to remain in Hammerhead, where at least he had Cindy to keep him company.  More often and not, though, she was busy with her work so he was left to find ways to keep himself busy.  He hunted- of course he did- but it no longer carried the same thrill as it had in the past.  He was simply going through the motions, lost in his own thoughts, dodging and weaving and pulling the trigger without even thinking about what he was doing. And sometimes, if he was honest with himself, he wasn’t sure how much he cared about his own survival.  He wasn’t really living anymore anyway- not properly at least.  And how could he?  Without Noct by his side, without the promise of brighter days, it was impossible.

There was no denying it was lonely, sometimes unbearably so, but it had just been too painful to stay together after everything that had happened.  They had too many shared memories, many of which none of them wanted to think about let alone discuss.  So going their separate ways had seemed the best thing to do, the only way of coping with things as they awaited Noct’s return.  Though even that seemed almost too much to hope for these days…

But now as they hunted together, slotting back into the same old patterns, moving in sync as though they’d never been apart, it felt different.  The rush of excitement he’d thought was lost forever was back, the adrenaline pumping through his veins as they headed towards the location of their next target.  Very few words passed between them as they trudged through the darkness, alert and ready as always, but that was okay.  The very fact that his friends were there was enough- for now at least.

“Quiet…” Gladio muttered, stopping abruptly and reaching out a hand to pull Ignis back.  “I think I hear something.”

Prompto stopped too, summoning his gun and glancing around, his eyes peeled as he searched for any sign of movement. He held his breath as he squinted into the darkness hoping to spot the smallest glimpse of something lurking in the shadows, a tiny glimmer as a flashlight reflected off the white of an eye.  But there was nothing.  Only a black void stared back at him, stretching out around them in every direction.

“There’s nothing here, Gladio,” he whispered, returning his gun to the armiger and shoving his hands into his pockets.  He allowed himself the luxury of a small smile.  As long as they could still summon their weapons, Noct was alive and as long as he was alive, there was hope.  “I don’t think…”

 _I don’t think we’re close enough yet_  was what he’d been planning to say, but before he could even finish his sentence he was proven wrong.  Out of nowhere the creature leapt at him, blood-stained teeth bared fiercely as it slammed into his side with enough force to knock him completely off his feet.  His gun was back in his hand before his body had hit the floor, and he fired impulsively into the darkness, the pain he knew he should be feeling completely masked by the familiar adrenaline that rushed through him.

“Prompto!”  He heard Gladio cry out, his voice muffled over the screech of whatever daemon it was they’d had the misfortune to run in to.  Or maybe it was the daemon’s misfortune- it certainly didn’t look like it was going to last long if the deep puncture wound on the back of its head was anything to go by!

Heart pumping and head spinning, he clambered to his feet, ignoring the voice in his head as it tried to warn him about the ache in his side.  He was pretty sure all it needed was a simple potion, and he could deal with that later.  This was far more important.  Shooting a thumbs up in Gladio’s direction in an attempt to prove he was okay, he darted forward to join his friends, following up each of their attacks with a carefully aimed and, considering how much his hands were shaking, surprisingly precise shot.  The more he fought, the more his muscles burnt with the passion and thrill of the hunt, his limbs moving without any instruction from his brain.  He felt as though his blood was on fire, the flames licking the walls of his veins as he twisted and shot and jumped and rolled to evade every attack the daemon threw in his direction.  But he wasn’t scared.  Perhaps he should have been but he didn’t feel any fear any more.  This was what he loved most of all.  And, more to the point, it was what he needed.

It didn’t take long before the daemon collapsed on the ground, its limbs thrashing around as it let out a loud roar of pain.  One final swipe of Gladio’s sword was all it took to finish it off, its tail twitching uncontrollably for a few seconds before slamming down against the ground with a gentle thud.

Prompto staggered back, suddenly aware of how strangely Ignis and Gladio were looking at him, their expressions unreadable as they made their way towards him.  Gladio’s lips were moving but all Prompto could hear was the hammering of his pulse in his ears, unbearably loud against the night’s silence.  It was as though the rest of the world had been muted, disconnecting him from everything but the ever present sound of his drumming heart.

His trembling legs gave way underneath him- no longer strong enough to support his weight- and he dropped to his knees, a small gasp escaping his lips as the wound on his side rubbed against the coarse material of his shirt.  He pressed his hand down on top of the injury, somewhat surprised to feel his palm sticking to the damp, viscous substance that had soaked through his clothing.  He held his hand in front of his face, turning it this way and that so that the crimson sheen clinging to his skin caught the light.  Pulling up his shirt, he stared down at the wound- a deep gash, wide and oozing, that ran all the way down his side.  It was fascinating- that he could be bleeding so heavily and yet feel so little pain. 

“Here…”  Prompto heard the rattle of a potion bottle being pulled from the armiger followed by a crack as it was crushed, the liquid spreading across the wound and causing the edges to knit back together before his eyes, leaving only a faint pink line in its place.  

“Thanks,” he muttered, running a finger along the line in disbelief before pulling his shirt back down to cover it.  He felt a hand on his shoulder, firm and comforting as it squeezed gently, the smooth skin pleasantly cool against his own.  He knew without looking that it belonged to Gladio and the sensation of his touch caused him to snap back to reality, his own injury forgotten entirely as he looked around for Ignis.  “Is Iggy okay?”

“He’s fine.  Heading back to the car.  We’re all out of potions.”  Gladio was breathing deeply, his sentences short and abrupt as though he was angry.

“Is that safe?  I mean…”

“Fuck, Prom- try worrying about yourself for a change.  Iggy knows his limits.  Unlike some people…”  There was a long pause and Prompto looked down at the ground, the tension that hung in the air almost enough to make him weep in frustration.  He knew why Gladio was angry, and he had every right to be.  Prompto had risked his life- all their lives- just for the thrill of a battle.  He’d been irresponsible.  And he was lucky they’d all come out of it alive.  “You scared the shit out of us there, you know?”  Prompto glanced up at where Gladio was standing, his amber eyes shining against the glow of the flashlight as they stared down at him.  Beads of sweat shimmered on his forehead, which was furrowed in concern.  “Why didn’t you say you were hurt?  You could have been killed!  How could you be so fucking stupid?!”

“But I’m okay.”  He tried to smile but could feel his eyes fill with tears, and he bit his lip as he tried to push them back down.  “I’m sorry… I didn’t realise it was so bad.  It… I didn’t feel the pain.  I guess the adrenaline took over a little.”

Gladio slid down beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and holding him tightly.  “I get that, Blondie, I really do.”  He reached out to stroke a thumb thoughtfully across Prompto’s cheek, catching a stray tear which had managed to snake its way down from the corner of his eye.  Sighing, he pulled Prompto in close, running his fingertips through the sweaty tangles of hair at the back of his head, tugging gently as he eased out some of the knots.  “I’m not mad at you, Prom.  I know things have been shitty and I understand why you did what you did.  It’s just… I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt.”  

He smiled as he dropped a kiss on the top of Prompto’s head, but his eyes were sad as they were so often these days, the once bright and vibrant amber dull with no sign of the spark that Prompto loved.

“I’ll be more careful, Gladio.  I promise.”  Prompto placed his hand on Gladio’s cheek, his fingers trembling as they dusted the surface of his skin.  It had been so long he’d forgotten what it felt like to be this close to Gladio, but the connection between them was still there and his fingertips tingled with electricity as they ran down the side of his face.  “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”  His words were shaky and uneven as he spoke, his heart once again thudding against his rib cage as Gladio bent down to place a firm but gentle kiss on his lips, the unfamiliar, longer hair tickling the tip of his nose as he nuzzled against him.

“Too long,” Gladio breathed, resting his forehead against Prompto’s, their faces so close that Prompto could taste the sweet, fragrant aroma of Gladio’s breath as it swept over his skin.  

“I didn’t know if you’d still want this,” Prompto murmured, wrapping his arms around Gladio’s neck and running his fingers through his hair, twisting the longer strands around his fingers and watching them slowly unravel and fall in tousled waves down his back.  “If you’d still want me.”

Gladio chuckled, pulling away to hold Prompto at arms length.  “Of course I want you, Prom.  I will always want you.  I know it’s hard when we’re not together, but you have to believe that I could never love anybody more than I love you.”  He cupped Prompto’s face in his hands and gazed down at him with such tenderness in his eyes that Prompto wondered how he could ever have doubted his love.  Smoothing his hair back from his face, Gladio began pressing soft but affectionate kisses over each freckle in turn, pausing only when he reached Prompto’s lips to pull him in to a fiery, passionate kiss that neither of them wanted to end.

Prompto rested his head against Gladio’s chest and closed his eyes, placing his hand over Gladio’s heart and tuning in to the slow, rhythmic beat underneath his outstretched palm.  As he lay there, his breathing gradually returning to normal, Gladio stroked his back, his fingers sweeping deftly up and down his spine in long, comforting motions.  And for the first time in a long time, he felt at peace.  Not bored, not lonely, not worried for the future.  Just content.  Perhaps there was something worth living for after all.  He still had Gladio.  And maybe that was all he’d ever needed…    

**Author's Note:**

> Any comments and feedback are always appreciated!
> 
> [Come and chat on tumblr](https://butterfly-girl86.tumblr.com/). I'm nice- I promise. And I love to talk about these boys!


End file.
